Harlan County U.S.A. (1976) - full transcript

Fire in the hole!

Fire in the hole!

Fire in the hole!

All clear!

Come all ye young fellers
so brave and so fine

Seek not your fortune
way down in the mine.

It'll form like a habit
and will sink in your soul

till the streams of your blood
runs as black as the coal.

Where it's dark
as a dungeon damp

as the dew, where
the danger is double

and the pleasures are few.



Where the rain
never falls, the sun

never shines, it's dark as a
dungeon way down in the mines.

Yeah, smile for it.

A lot of them girls got
them clothes on.

Whoo!

For forty-two years is a
mighty long time I labored

untold down in a coal mine.

Down in a deep hole where
the bright lights did glow,

back in a dark room
a-spadin' up coal.

My bones they did
ache me my knee caps

got bad down on a hard
rock on a set of knee pads.

The motors were
shifting I got sand in my hair.

Both lungs were broke down
from a-breathin' bad air.

Coal
mining was rough.



18 and 20 hours, get
wet, come outside,

your clothes would
be close to stiff.

It would sound
like a

hit 'em, like a rattle noise.

They worked you like working
a mule or a ..

I heard the boss man to say
one time, he said you be sure.

Don't get that
mule no place where

the rock will fall in on him.

Don't take that mule
to no bad place.

I said, well, what about me?

I was driving the mule in.

What about me, the
rock a-fallin' on me?

He said, we can always
hire another man.

He said, you gotta
buy that mule.

In other words, they
thought more of the mule

than they did a man.

My grandfather
was a coal miner

and belonged to
the union, the UMW.

And he died with the black lung.

I can remember sitting
around, you know--

--when we were younger,
and him talking about being

on picket lines and organizing.

And I mean, that was mostly what
we talked about, sitting around

the table after supper and all.

Most of our conversation
was his union--

when he was organizing
for the union and things

that happened on the
picket line, and things

that the company did to you.

And so I began to hate
the company, you know?

I mean, it seemed like
I just always did.

I knew they were
enemy, you know?

And then, when I watched him
die, and suffer like he did

with that black lung disease,
I knew that something

could be done about it.

And I told myself then, if I
ever get the opportunity to get

those coal operators, I will.

Because I thought, you
know, it was the enemy.

And so when this track came
up, I saw the opportunity

and I jumped right in there.

Let's get up there at
five o'clock in the morning.

Fix you a good cup of coffee.

Let's be there and
show these Brookside

workers what we can do for 'em.

Let's stand on our two feet
and show these boys that we

can help them get a contract.

Let's show the people of Harlan
County we stand together.

If you file for this contract,
we're going to get it.

Hey, the fire's on hot now,
it ain't much they can do.

All you boys on that
football field where I am,

I want you to be
there in the morning.

Let's show Carl Horn
that we stand on two feet

here in Harlan County.

We'll set there and
sweat when it's snowing.

We'll stand right there
until that UMWA contract

gets signed at Brookside.

All you people here
in Black Mountain,

we'd really
appreciate it if you'd

be down there at
five o'clock, sunrise

revival at Brookside, Kentucky.

Let's don't back off.

Let's don't let one man
run us out of Harlan.

Yeah, boys, that's
where it's happening--

Brookside at five
o'clock Monday morning.

Let's be down there to
support the Brookside workers.

I got hurt down there about
a year ago at Brookside.

I had about 300 pounds
of steel on my head.

And they took me to the
hospital, sewed my head up,

and a hole cut
through my nose here.

And I was off one day.

And the superintendent
sent a feller over said,

you need to come on
back up here and work

so we'll make it easy on you
so you won't lose no time.

And I went back up.

Finding it knocked me out
of compensation or anything.

Busted--
my head busted open.

That's the way they--
that's the way they

want you to work down there.

Protect your family.

UMWA.

Go on down, boys.

We need your support.

Take some of that
money and ..

Now you're a real pal.

Need your support, buddy.

May the good lord
take a liking to you.

Yeah!

UMWA all the way.

UMWA all the way.

Here, give me one.

I'll put it on the side--

Right on the bumper there.

Tennessee is a UMW.

We're out of these
Kentucky stickers

or we'd give you one of them.

Organize the unorganized.

With organization, you have
the aid of your fellow man.

Without organization,
you are a lone individual

without influence and without
recognition of any kind.

And exploitation of
you and your family

when it pleases some
industrialist who desires

to make money from your misery.

But we'd like to have
every man to walk this picket

duty with us, to get his
name before he leaves,

and we'll break it up.

These boys on this committee
will break it down.

And we'll get
something going here.

Come on up and sit around.

It ain't no big thing.

You ain't gonna be
doing nothin' no way.

Crying about how broke
you are, like I am.

We sure appreciate that.

A sticker.

We're protesting.

We're protesting Duke Power's
control over these men

that voted in the UMW contract.

And Duke Power says no, you
can't have that contract.

We have made them
dozens and dozens

of proposals of
different language

in these areas of disagreement.

They read them and
throw them back.

And they have no
counterproposal.

If you could
settle it quietly,

I would think maybe to do it.

And say, well, maybe
they won this battle,

but we've got them off our back.

Well, I would agree
with you to this extent--

I'd like to have
them off our back.

They're treating us
like we're animals, dogs.

Well, we aren't.

We're American citizens.

And they are violating
our constitutional rights

when they tell us that we can't
have the union of our choice

that those men voted in.

If you looked on
TV the other day,

you seen women going up
there, men, impeach Nixon.

Impeach Nixon.

But you let us get
up there with protest

signs against Duke Power.

And they're sending their
gun thugs to intimidate us.

What do you think
when unions are

destroying our whole country?

Mr. Hoffa's in a penitentiary.

Thinks the union is
known communists.

The longshoremen are
known communists.

Every union in the country
is what

will happen to their country.

The men wants higher wages.

They're going to strike for
the union is begging 'em.

They stay on strike till
they get their higher wages.

I explained to my daughter, I
said there's a spool of thread

there.

I said that thread
might have been $0.15.

The men goes on strike.

I said, then if they get--

if they get $0.30 on there,
they get their $0.30.

When they go back to
work, they got to raise

that price to cover that wage.

The unions is what's doing it.

The unions is what's
running the United States.

I went to work when I
was 10 years old picking

slate in the coal.

Well, at that time, we were
working 10 hours a day.

And we were getting six and
a fraction cents an hour.

Well, we breaker boys, we'd
have our feet in the chute.

And we'd be picking
the slate out,

when the breaker boss
would sneak up behind us,

and if he'd see a piece
of slate coming through,

he'd pick up the slate and
hit you in the back with it,

and hit you hard.

He'd say, pick that slate up!

You know?

Well, they used to
abuse us, actually.

Well, finally, we got to a stage
where we figured that, well, we

was gonna strike.

That was when I learned my
first real political lesson

about what happens when
you take a position

against the coal operators,
against the capitalists.

Well, the first thing that
happened, the union officials

came to us and told us we'd
have to go back to work,

that we were violating
the agreement.

We said, the hell
with the agreement.

We're going to
stay out on strike

until we get our demands.

Well, then the politicians
began visiting us

and putting pressure on
us, then the parish priest.

Well, finally, the coal company
did agree to meet with us.

And they agreed to
raise the hourly pay

from six and a fraction
cents to $0.08 an hour.

So we thought we
got big concessions.

Today that wouldn't
mean anything.

That's only peanuts.

But it meant a whole lot to us
in our paycheck at that period.

Well, this was my first
lesson that if you

stuck to your organization and
stuck together in solidarity,

you could defeat them.

Besides that, I learned
that the politicians

worked with the coal companies.

I found out that the union
officials were working

with the coal companies.

I also found out that the
Catholic hierarchy was working

with the coal officials.

Here was a combination
of the whole thing, see--

that you had to bump up against
the whole combination of them.

When the coal and
iron police would

find out who was trying
to instigate a union,

well, they'd abuse them.

The miners figured, well, the
only way they could fight back

was to abuse them, pay them
for what they was doing.

So they began to use, then,
violence in retaliation

of the violence that was
being used against them.

This kind of a struggle
went on to such a degree

that there was many of the
mine foremen getting killed.

There were many of the police
getting killed, of course.

There was many miners
getting killed.

And it was a regular
guerrilla warfare.

I saw some of the earlier
ideas of guerrilla warfare

that developed out of
that kind of struggle.

The coal company gets
every dollar which he can

chisel out of some
coal miner through

management tactics.

So why wouldn't the coal
operators be satisfied?

The government is acting
as their muscle man.

That's the money of
Kentucky at work.

Breaking the organized labor.

Organize labor.

Organize labor.

Well, hell, I don't think
they're in here for anything

except break the strike here.

They are for the
company all the way.

Scabs wouldn't
be alive for it.

I don't have any feelings
one way or the other.

I just have a job to do.

Then why are you here?

To keep the roads open.

Enforce laws and keep the peace.

Try to keep people
from getting hurt.

Put your hands.

Bailey?

I'm your, Bailey.

Because you're a damn
disgrace to the Bailey family.

Boy, this is a damn shame
a Bailey on a state cop.

Ain't that a shame?

You want to get a
shot of something,

get a shot of this
baby hanging over--

That's what I been looking at.

It's the same
diameter ..

That's a scab?

There are no healing
for a scab, you know?

Hell, that's some
nerve, don't it?

Put some nerve on there.

There's the damn
guy that drawed

that gun on me right there!

That guy used.

Get 'em out of here.

Hey!

That's goddamn wrong!

--Goddamn law enforcement.

Hey!

Go on, sucky.

Hey, go on.

Goddamned bastards.

That goddamn scab
son of a bitches.

Hey!

All you guys on this
injunction, all 36 of you,

remember this.

This is a court order.

You can't block the traffic,
and don't call them scabs.

Why not?

Because if you do, you'll
be down there behind bars.

Now, I don't think you'll
never win a strike by having

six people on the picket line.

There's no way, I
mean, that you can

win a strike with six pickets.

So you got to violate
these injunctions.

And the lawyers are
made to get you out

of trouble after you get in.

Not to get you out of
trouble before you get in.

I'll put it like this.

You do what you want to do.

Women all over the country
are interested in what

their husbands are doing.

They're interested
in the safety laws

that the United
Mine Workers have.

And they want their husbands
to have the pension funds.

They don't want their husbands
going into these scab mines,

with the rock a-falling
and running these here

motors with no brakes.

So they want to participate.

They're ready and willing.

The good thing about our club
is that now we're giving them

the chance to participate, to
say when their husbands go down

in the mine that they're
praying that they'll get out.

I think that they feel like
that maybe their prayers

will be answered
sooner if they are

working under a UMWA contract.

Well, I went down there
in support of the miners,

for the miners, and in
support of my own children,

too, that I'm raising up.

Now sit down real easy.

Sit down.

I can't get my foot in.

Angie.

I couldn't get my foot out--

You're messing.

Again.

If the scalps starts to
cross the picket lines,

we went because we was trying to
protect-- you know, the scalps

going to take your daddy's job.

When they sign the
contract, Daddy's

going to have hot running
water and a big old bathtub.

Let's help the
striking miners now.

Come all you coal
miners wherever

you may be and listen to a
story that I'll relate to thee.

My name is nothing extree but
the truth to you I'll tell.

I am a coal miner's wife.

I'm sure I wish you well.

They take your very life blood.

They take our children's lives.

Take fathers away from children
and husbands away from wives.

Oh, miner, won't you
organize wherever

you may be and make
this the land of freedom

for workers like you and me.

And we had to
fight for our rights.

You're going to have
to fight for that--

if you have more
safety in the mines,

if you get your
portal to portal pay,

if you have your doctor
card so you can be doctored.

Because if you get disabled,
and you don't have any backing,

then some home will get you
or your family will starve.

For you see, I
know what it means.

And this club means a lot
to pull us all together.

Everybody stand together in it.

And everybody goes together.

Everybody go out
on the picket line.

And we'll win their contract
if they'll all stand up.

That's good, sweetie.

All the police were lined
up there when we got there.

It was early.

We must have got there quarter
after five, maybe five thirty.

But they were there already.

And by that time, all this
big crowd had gathered,

you know, supporters.

One car went through
with three men in it.

They kind of slipped through.

And the next car come through,
we were able to get in the road

and lay down.

Come on, guys.

Lay down.

Lay down.

Then we'll see what kind of
law we got in Harlan County.

What kind of
state police we got?

Get them bastards
manhandling women.

That's what to do!

We didn't give 'em
any resistance whatever.

We just laid down in
the road because they

were there to escort those
scabs through to work.

And that's been going
on for a whole month.

And we've just come
too far for that.

Taking pictures,.

Oh, honey, they gotta
stay on that picket line.

If they start scabbing, man,
they gotta go back down there.

They can't let me down.

I mean, shit, just bring
me a gun if they're going--

I'd rather be dead
if I have to--

have to know that they're
scabbing at Brookside.

I can't stand it.

I can't stand the thought of it.

So just don't let
them, you know?

Stay on
the picket line,

always on the picket line.

I really mean it.

We all.

Then just keep
on the picket line.

Just beat the hell
out of them scabs.

Beat the shit out of them.

Which one ain't took?

I don't know,
but I got this one.

- This top one ain't took here.
- Right there.

Right there.

This is a double mattress.

I'll take this one.

Hell, I'm legally--

I was legally on
the picket line.

I told 'em you wasn't.

Tried to show 'em
in court down there,

and they wouldn't
accept the damn thing.

Just going to violate
one more ..

Then that'll put us
right back. 'Cause you're

a prisoner out there anyway.

That's right.

So you might as
well be in jail.

Be in jail.

There's a judgment forth
that Bell Dawn,,,

Lois Scott, Betty Eldridge,
Betsy,,

and Melba Strong be
incarcerated for a period

of 60 days from this date.

Could I say?

Because I haven't had a chance
to give any testimony today.

I knew we weren't going
to get any justice.

You say the laws
were made for us.

The laws are not made for the
working people in this country.

There's a person missing here
today, and that's Carl Horn.

The law was made for people
like Carl Horn, not for us.

So I knew when I came here,
without offering any testimony

or getting up.

I knew what I was doing at
Brookside, because that's

what I wanted to do.

For once, I was able to
take the offensive instead

of coming down here to
take a step backward

to try to defend what we did.

What we did is right,
and we all know that.

I resent the fact that
Judge Hogg is a

and him a coal operator.

And sitting beside
him, the circuit

court clerk, Mary
Lou,,

is sitting up there.

And her son is up there.

He's a photographer
up there, taking

the pictures for
them, to blacklist

the men on the picket line.

I resent that.

I resent the fact that he can
make a law that can tell me

that I can't go where I please.

He's violating my
constitutional rights.

My name is Norman Yarborough.

On my right is Mr.
Logan Patterson,

who is an attorney, who has
been retained by Eastover Mining

Company as chief negotiator.

Mr. Yarborough,
I'd like to ask you

what you think about the
role of miners' wives

play in this strike.

Well, they certainly
played a big role in it.

I would hate to
think that my wife

would play this kind of role.

Why?

Well, there's
been some conduct

that I don't like to think
that our American women have

to revert to.

Is it a fact that the
Duke Power Company maintains

housing for its employees
that has no water

and no indoor plumbing?

Yes, sir.

We were attempting
to move our people,

and these are our people,
they're my people,

move our people, upgrade
our people into trailers,

Upgrade our people into better
housing, better conditions

in all directions, because
they'll make us better people

when we are able to do this.

Larry!

Come on to supper!

It's a feudal system, I think.

There's a very rich
class of people

and then there are
the coal miners.

And then there are the
people who are on relief,

and that's about it in Harlan.

They want to keep it this way.

The way they keep it
that way is keeping

a monopoly on the labor market.

And they do that by
keeping other competitives

or industries that will be
competitive for the labor,

keep them out.

There are a few
little places to work,

but I mean, they don't pay
enough but the minimum wage

there, you know, maybe $2.

And you can't make a living
from that no more, you know.

And if me and him-- if it
don't go United Miner Works,

me and him are going to
have to leave Harlan County.

That's for sure,
or maybe Kentucky.

We'll have to go where it's a
union state to get a job again.

Duke Power is a Southern
conservative company.

Less than 10 % of their employees
and their power plants and

their line crews are organized.

And they feel that if they
give in to the contract here,

it will encourage
union organization

in their home state of North
Carolina and South Carolina.

They say in North Carolina
Duke Power runs the show.

Carl Horn would like
to break the strike,

but the miners tell him no.

Which side are you on, boys?

Which side are you on?

Going up in New York City.

We've got to spread the news.

Been fighting hard
for many months

and we're not about to lose.

Which side are you on, boys?

Which side are you on?

You're from the South?

Yeah, he sounds
like he's from the South.

You don't look like
you're all from--

We're gonna let people
know that if you buy

Duke Power stock, it's risky.

We've had several this morning
said they had Duke Power stock,

but they wouldn't
it long, that they

were going to get rid of it.

And that sounded
beautiful to me.

The tunnels here is
just like a mine's.

Only ours is about
42 inches high.

I think these are more
secure than a mine's though.

I wouldn't mind going
under here, but your mines?

Oh, yeah.

You wouldn't
want to go in the mines?

They can make good profit
off of mines, you know,

if they had a union.

They won't give us one.

They make some
profit, but they keep

it all to themselves, right?

Yeah.

They don't spread the wealth.

I thought you guys got paid
a little more than you do.

You don't get paid
a bad salary, but I

thought it was a little more.
- We get paid real good.

No, it's not.

But you know--

What's real good--

$5, $6 an hour?

Yeah.

That's not real good.

I make more than that.

Yeah?

Sure I do.

A policeman makes
less down there.

We make about seven.

God.

That's good money.

We draw union strike benefits.

And it's real hard, you
know, live on a hundred.

Is your job real
dangerous, though?

Well, you see, look at me.

Yeah, but this is what I do.

It's a lot of bullshit.

I mean, a lot of people
don't understand that--

that electricity
burning over there

takes somebody dying
every day for it.

One man dies every day.

You've probably get
medical coverage.

Free.

Free medical coverage?

I'd save up, buddy.

Buy a house or something.

Kids all get sick, and I'd
have to spend every penny--

What about dental?

No dental.

You got dental?

God.

We got dental.

We got all kinds of health.

We got drugs.

I could retire at 36,
half pay, $10,000 a year.

Well, they don't want us
to ever be able to retire.

That's bad.

That's the reason
we're here, you know?

That's the reason
we're on strike.

Been on strike nine months.

Nine months?

Nine months.

I thought this
was the first day?

No, this is nine months!

We can't get it-- they
won't sign a contract.

It's a good thing you
came up here to bring

some publicity.

Yeah, yeah.

The outstanding issues between
Duke Power and its coal mining

subsidiary, Eastover
Mining Company,

and the United Mine
Workers and the opinion--

of the management of Eastover
and the management of Duke

Power are the
absence of a no strike policy,

refusal of the union to
agree to not strike during

the life of the contract.

If there are questions
on the contact

of my report to
the stockholders,

I'll entertain those questions.

How come you hire gun thugs
to harass us around with?

You're saying there
that the issue

is for a no strike clause.

Well, if we had a no
strike clause in there,

Norman Yarborough could
kick us off of that hill,

and there wouldn't be a
thing we could do about it.

But I tell you, we
are in Harlan County.

All of our life we've
been kicked around.

We've been put in jail.

We've been shot at.

We've had dynamite
throwed at us.

And then you don't want
us to have nothing.

Well, I'll tell you, Mr. Horn.

I'm going to be standing right
there on the picket line,

looking at you just
as long as it takes.

Thank you.

Coal companies are not the JP
Morgans or the Hannas anymore.

It's Occidental Petroleum
and Exxon and Sohio.

They're the ones,
the oil companies,

who control the coal industry.

70 % of all the
domestic coal reserves

are owned by oil companies.

There just can't
be any question

that the health and the safety
of our employees in the mining

industry must be
given first priority

on humanitarian grounds alone.

We find violation
after violation

after violation in those mines.

We have a national record that
looks very poor when laid up

against the German national
record, the UK national record,

the French national
record, the Netherlands

national record, and the
others that I've examined.

So I think that--

I'm not indicting anyone.

If anything, I'm
indicting myself.

I'm inditing an agency
that I've been associated

with for a long time.

We haven't done all that we
should have in this field.

Oh, my god, Frankie.

I said, the whole midnight
shift and the mine blew up.

They're trapped in the mine, and
I said, Pete's in there, too.

He left for work and he act--

well, just kind of, like, he
didn't want to go to work.

He'd rather stayed home.

He said, maybe I
should stay home.

And I said, why don't you?

And he went to the
door about two or three

different times, kept
saying, should I go

or should I stay home?

Says it's bitten snow out there.

He said, I just hate
to be on the road.

I said, why don't
you stay home, then

and pretend you're sick tonight.

But he went, and then that
was the explosion ..

I live right almost on the
seat of the main explosion,

right, Sara?

And they said, you
get out of your house.

And the police
told me to get out.

Do you know why?

Because they was notified
to tell me, yeah, get out.

Because they didn't
want me to see what

was going on up at that
damn dirty filthy mines!

I gave up.

I figured we'd never make
it out because we just--

we all passed out.

I don't know whether any one
man didn't pass out or not.

I couldn't say that,
'cause I know I did.

When I woke up, I was,
like, froze to death.

I've worked in the
mines about seven years.

And I've really never been
too scared of the mines.

But I don't like I'll
go back in the mines.

And the television says, if
another explosion would occur,

they'd have to seal the
mine, and about one o'clock

that explosion came.

And I says, they'll seal them.

They sealed them.

And then we knew that
was-- that was it.

You can read it in
the paper and the radio

tells us to raise our
children to be miners as well.

Tell them how safe
the mines are today.

And to be like daddy,
bring home a big pay.

But don't you
believe it, my boy.

That story's a lie.

Remember the disaster
at the Mannington mine

where 78 miners
were burned alive.

Because of unsafe conditions,
your daddy's died.

Now I'd like to
know, since they died,

in order to help
the living, find

out what caused that explosion.

You know, you learn
from a tragedy.

And then maybe they can help--

Others.

--Others to live, and then
it wouldn't happen again.

But as long as they're
greedy, and as long

as they're rushing
the coal miner

and wanting the
production before lives,

there will always be tragedies.

I know there's
something wrong,

but I didn't know what it was.

And the doctors told me.

About 60, don't you know?

Yeah, about 60
something or along there.

What would happen to you,
when you started realizing

that something was wrong?

Well, you just
couldn't get no breath.

You'd walk a little
piece and you would give

out, just a-panting for breath.

And sometimes you couldn't
hardly get it no way.

Lots of times I've had
to go to the hospital

down here to the doctor and they
give me some shots and things.

And I thought I was a goner.

Black lung, black
lung, oh, your hands,

I see coal as you reach for my
life and you torture my soul.

Cold as that water hole
down in that dark cave

where I spent my life's
blood digging my own grave.

When you start
destroying the lung tissue,

as occurs in miners who have
pneumoconiosis and the end

result of pneumoconiosis, there
really isn't anything that you

can do to restore the lungs.

There's just simply destroyed.

170 over 100.

Are you?

I'll be 67.

67?

Well, you couldn't see
your buddy on the other

side of the.

We'd be covered just
black ..

Well, it don't even make
what color you went in at,

you all-- we looked the
same when you came out.

Right?
- That's right.

We're soul brothers.

Murray, that's right.

When you came out, the
whites looked like the blacks

so it wasn't any different.

So you knew you was
getting plenty of dust.

There are also
miners that are working

and who are very
symptomatic, but who

don't dare quit unless they
can be reassured that they have

sufficient impairment
that they'll

be able to elect some sort
of disability benefits.

And it's a kind of
a negative system.

Because what we do
is we really force

them to keep working until
they become that disabled.

He went to the boss man
but he closed the door.

Well, it seems you're not
wanted when you're sick

and you're poor.

You're not even covered
in their medical plans.

And your life depends
on the favors of man.

We want to do the
right thing about coal

workers pneumoconiosis.

But we think that the best
informed medical opinion will

show you that it's not true that
the inhalation and retention

of coal dust in the
lungs necessarily

results in any impairment
of pulmonary function.

And that on the contrary, only
a relatively small portion

of coal miners who have coal
dust retained in the lungs

have any resulting impairment
of pulmonary function,

much less disability.

This is one of
your brother's lungs.

And this is what it
looks like at autopsy.

And this is why he died.

That's preventable.

Other countries have done it.

Other countries have
made tremendous strides.

For example, the Australians
believe that they've

completely eliminated the
problem of lung disease

in their coal miners.

Down at the
graveyard, the boss man

came with his little
bunch of flowers.

Dear god, what a shame!

Take back those flowers.

Don't you sing no sad songs.

The die has been cast now.

A good man is gone.

It turns out that
1969 was a year

for an election in the
United Mine Workers union.

And with all the
dissatisfaction going on,

there was, really,
for the first time,

I guess, in the union's history,
there was really open talk

of people opposing Tony Boyle.

40 years I have to work
in a mine to get a pension,

a meager pension at that.

And I suppose when I do quit,
which will be in two years

because I can't
stand it anymore,

I won't be able
to get silicosis,

because you have to be dead.

I doubt Tony
Boyles ever knowed

what coal dust is on his hands.

All he's sitting back there,
up there on Washington

Drive a big amount of money.

What for?

He doesn't even know what
the miners goes through.

And to hell with him!

That's the way I feel.

Boyle's doing
nothing for the widows,

Boyle's doing nothing
for the pensioners.

I'll give you this.

I'll give you that.

I'll give you pie if I can
reach high enough in the sky

in the sweet bye and bye.

Well, the coal
miners in this country

are damn sick and
tired of having

a national president
of its organization

that's in bed with
the coal operators.

Clarksville, Pennsylvania
is not too far from here.

Coal miners were hoping
for a brighter new year.

But for John Yablonski,
his daughter and wife,

the new year brought an ending
to their precious lives.

Well, it's cold blooded murder,
friends, I'm talking about now.

Who's gonna stand up
and who's gonna fight?

We better clean up that
union, put it on solid ground,

and get rid of that dirty trash
keeps the working man down.

Now we have nine
paid holidays.

And I think the one
that tops them all is

the holiday for your birthday.

Every miner is given
the opportunity

to work on his birthday
and he receives triple time

for working on his birthday.

I think that's really
something to be proud of.

And this is the
thought and the idea

and the accomplishment
of President Boyle.

You know, when they asked
me how many terms do you want?

You know how many
terms I told them?

I told 'em, I said just as long
as the Supreme Being up there

gives me the intellect
and the health to carry on

and the membership
elect me to office,

that's how many terms I want,
until I'm 180 years of age.

Can you tell us just
where the bodies were found

and some of the circumstances
surrounding the discovery?

Well, the daughter
was in a bedroom

adjoining the master bedroom.

And Mr. And Mrs. Yablonski
were in the master bedroom.

The events in
Washington, Pennsylvania

show that murder is as
institutionalized within

the UMWA as it is in the mafia.

The order to kill--

to kill the whole
family, if necessary,

was as routinely transmitted
and carried out as an order

to call a strike or
settle a grievance.

We loved and
admired our father.

We respected him.

And my brother and I
would like to carry him

to his final resting
place, but we

deem it proper to do otherwise.

My brother Joseph, with our
cousins from my mother's

family, will carry our mother.

And I, with our cousins
from my father's family,

will carry our sister Charlotte.

We entrust our
father to the coal

miners whom he loved so much.

O, death Whoa, death.

Please spare me
for another year.

Please spare me over
for another year.

The children prayed.

The preacher preached.

Time and mercy's out of reach.

To death I come to take
the soul leave my body

and leave it cold.

Take the skin right
off the brain,

earth and worms both
have their claim.

O, death.

O death.

Please spare me on
for another year.

Please spare me over
for another year.

In 1969, there wasn't
any reform organization.

This is 1972.

And this is the year for
Miners for Democracy.

Now you can look around
and see your brothers

in other districts who are
willing to stand shoulder

to shoulder with you to
throw Boyle and his crowd

out for once and for all.

I'm proud of the honor of
heading up the slate of rank

and file candidates for
the international offices

for rank and file miners.

We must have a safety program
that will guarantee our members

a safe journey to
and from the mines,

not one which accepts that
we must lose 200 or 300

men every year in mining.

I want to make it plain that
my commitment is to the rank

and file miner.

When the ninth of
December rolls around,

we'll have our election day.

And Boyle, you'd better
sit up and listen

'cause here's what
we're gonna say.

Well, Tony, you've been
at the top too long.

Quit stealing all our pay.

But Miller is here,
and the time is near.

There's coming a reckoning day.

There's coming a reckoning day.

I now pronounce you
President of the United

Mine Workers of America.

Congratulations.

Which office was this?

This was Boyles's old
office and the other one was

Suzanne Richard's old office.

Neither lives here anymore.

I do sign a
$0.20 royalty for--

Peabody!

--Peabody Coal Company.

What'd you say?

Mr. Boyle was giving a civil
deposition when he was intruded

upon by three FBI agents.

I think that's grossly unfair.

I never expected that that
was going to come through,

anything like this.
- Why?

Paul?

Because I had no forewarning.

What about the charge itself?

Well, as I read
the charge, I'm

not supposed to say anything.

My lawyer told me.

As you read the charge, what?

As bad as the killers
are, Vealey and a Gilly

and whatever they may be, they
don't compare to the people

at the top who would use the
blood and sweat of miners

to finance for killing.

Excuse us, please.

Excuse me.

The United Mine Workers
today is a labor organization

of rank and file miners
led by rank and file miners

for rank and file miners.

And that's the way
it ought to be.

I want to
introduce to all of you now,

and I expect that most
of you already know her,

Miss Florence Reese.

I'm not a coal miner,
as you well know.

But I'm as close as I
could be not to be one.

My father was a coal miner,
was killed in the mines.

And my husband is slowly
dying of black lung.

And my husband and me was
in the strike in the '30s

in bloody Harlan County.

And I do mean it is bloody, too.

And they tell me,
these miners say,

we're going to stick it
out, unless Duke Power

signs a contract until
hell freezes over.

And the men know
they've got nothing

to lose but their chains
and their union to gain.

So I say, hang in there.

And now this song I
composed in the '30s.

And you know, I'm old.

That's forty years ago.

And I can't sing very well.

But you can ask the
scabs and the gun

thugs which side they're on,
because they're workers, too.

Come, all you poor workers.

Good news to you I'll tell,
how the good old union

has come in here to dwell.

Which side are you on?

Which side are you on?

If you go to Harlan County,
there is no neutral there.

You'll either be a union
man or a thug for JH Blair.

Which side are you on?

Which side are you on?

But what about this
gun being pulled?

Oh, he pulled it right there.

--That station wagon.

He had it concealed in a rag.

He said if
we got in his way again,

he would mow us down.

I told him, I said, I'll see
you in federal court Monday,

if you say that again, sir.

We're here on peaceful business.

And so he put it back
his holster then,

wrapped it back up in a rag,
and got back in his car.

But he did pull
the gun and point it.

That's car
and that's the gun thug.

He is a known strike breaker.

Breaker!

That man is the gun thug.

He's the same one that
came up here before.

And he had the gun
in the car whenever

Red was talking to him.

And he's a-cruising around
here now, going up and down,

trying to find out
who's here, you see.

Who are you
working with, honey?

- What?
- Who do you work with?

United Press.

Well, you show
me your press card.

It's in the car.

And get my press card.

Show me your press card.

OK.

What's your name, sir?

My name is Basil Collins.

Do you work here?

Yes, ma'am.

What's your position here?

Land foreman.

How do you feel about the
people picketing out here?

Well, I would have
no comment on that.

And you, sir?

Same thing.

Where's this press card
you was gonna show me?

- Can I see your identification?
- Ma'am--

May I see your identification?

Yes ma'am, if I had any,
I'm sure I've lost it.

All I can do is just say--

Well, I think I might
have misplaced mine, too.

OK.

OK.

All right.

He had the nerve
enough, believe it or not,

to run for sheriff.

We're not going to have
the violence of the '30s.

The conditions are not the same.

There is probably
nothing illegal

or immoral about the union
trying to get the best

contract they can,
including the one

they have with everyone else.

On the other hand, the fact
that somebody else has made

a contract with the
United Mine Workers

doesn't raise any
obligation on our part,

as I see it, legally or
morally, to accept this contract

any more than we could
go to the union and say,

we want you to
accept the Southern

Labor union contract which
we have at two other mines.

Is it as simple as that?

You do not want
the major industry

agreement with United
Mine Workers, that is,

the 1971 agreement?

It's that simple, yes, if
you want to make it simple.

We'll bug 'em a
little bit this morning,

play with them a little bit.

Lester, you're mean.

I know.

Mean old man.

That's what they
say, don't they?

You can tell them
different, can't you?

I'm as gentle
as a newborn baby.

This morning was the first
time that they went to work.

All of them had
guns and pistols.

And it was just-- you know,
it was really bad, I thought.

Get the hell out of my way.

Get back in here now.

Get back in there,
all the rest of 'em.

Hold everybody.

Hey, there's a gun, boys.

Get a picture of that gun.
- Where?

Right here, boys.

Let's go!

Goddamn daddy over--

Well, there goes that
goddamn ..

Get that gun.

Come on in, boys.

Come on in.

Hello.

Hell!

Let's go, boys.

Let's go, man.

Everybody, let's go.

I'm not happy about it.
We can't hold them.

We can hold them,
but we can't hold

with all them guns they got.

They got guns.

We don't got 'em.

They allowed to carry
guns and sticks.

We can't have nothing but
a knife and a whet rock.

That's right.

AJ, we just heard that
Mickey Messer, president

of the Brookside
local, his house

was shot up last night by
some Highsplint employees.

They called his name to
get him to come outside

and he went out the back door.

And they opened up on
him with a machine gun.

Right here is one shot.

Up here is a shot.

And then that here is a shot.

I'm sure it was scabs, gun
thugs, Eastovers, ..

There ain't nobody
else that'd want

to do anything like that to me.

I've never bothered anybody.

They was shooting down
over house

and we all slept on the floor.

Honey, I.

Thugs shooting up--

Yes.

Kevin knocked me out
of bed, and the kids

was all in there crying.

Makes my blood broil.

If we don't want it to come back
to the '30s and Bloody Harlan,

and all of this
crowd, women and men,

can get out on the picket
line two or three times,

we've got it made.

If you're afraid to go to
sleep and you can't wake up,

just stay up all night.

Let's not let it happen
to come back to the '30s.

Because I was here.

I seen children hungry,
crying for something to eat.

And oh, I can't.

I can't take it.

I'll be out.

If I get shot, they can't
shoot the union out of me.

If you don't want your
husbands to die in a coal mine,

I'll see you in the morning
out on the picket line.

Which side are you on?

Which side are you on?

We're fighting for a contract.

We're fighting to be free.

And the picket line
is a long line.

There's room for you and me.

Which side are you on?

Which side are you on?

You find two or three,
sometimes four, pickets.

Very rarely are we finding six.

Now where are all
these people that

was raising hell
because they couldn't

have 50 on these picket lines?

Now the understanding
in this local union

was that strike
benefits would be paid

and every man would pull
his share of picket duty.

Right or wrong?

Right.

All right, then what in the
hell's going on around here?

Let me tell you something.

When I was sitting out on the
picket line, you was in bed.

And you was in bed.

So don't tell me--

and so I know--

Yeah, but we went to jail--

Oh, you went to jail.

You went to jail.

Who else went to jail?

Was you the only one?
- No.

We stayed over there
as long as we could stay

without going back to jail.

Let's call for a
moment of silence.

She's not done nothing
but cause trouble.

You know, you make me sick.

Well, you make me sick too.

--To you and tell
you what they tell me,

that you're running around
with their husbands,

that you're trying to take
their husbands away from them.

Well, OK, then they told
me you're an alcoholic

and everything else.

I don't care who
takes whose man,

who lives with whose
man or what they do.

If they take mine, and take
him on, they can have him.

I'll shed no tears.

I'm not after a man.

I'm after a contract.

I'm raising two boys.

I'll tell you.

We can't let our brother down.

We got to stand on solid ground.

And then we're
going to go through.

If we're going to
start letting personal--

what we feel about each other
personally get in the way,

then we're not gonna be
able to accomplish anything.

I don't count myself
nothing big in the club.

I don't count myself no
bigger than nobody else.

The rest of 'em has more
to do with it than I

do because my husband is messed
up in the mines, retired,

and the Eastover
just pushed us out.

We was pushed out before the
rent was up and all of that.

It smashed up our
daddies, down with coal dust

from that mines.

I went to school,
the age of school,

I got part of the sixth
grade, because daddy

got $8 and something a shift.

Nothing to go to school
on, had to go in overalls.

And probably
even after,,

coal out of it and sell it,
and walk off of that mountain

mines to school.

And they're all burned
up there, not even alive.

I've got Mom's coal oil lamps.

I've got her stove irons
a setting there for them

to look at and walking
to school and back.

And I know
everybody's disappointed

we don't have a bigger crowd.

And we're disappointed that
more people haven't come in.

But when you get down
to it in this fight,

and like in any
other fight, you've

got to depend on yourselves.

Nobody in the end is
going to do it for you.

The union is going to back you.

And we're going
to do all we can.

But you've got to win
this fight yourselves.

Now, it's the first
time East Kentucky

has stood up against the coal
operators, and you're doing it.

And when you win, you're
fighting for your kids

and your grandkids.

Every one of them will
have a better life because

of what you're doing here.

And that's why the
fight's so hard.

If it wasn't so much
at stake, they wouldn't

be fighting you this hard.

They wouldn't shoot
into your homes

if there wasn't
so much at stake.

And if they're not enough
on the picket line,

then when you come to the
picket line, on the way,

stop by, and pick someone
up, and knock on his door,

and ask them to
come along with you.

Bob, are you
going to be there?

Where?

At the picket
line?

Yeah.

Y'all don't know what y'all's
going up against up there.

It's the thugs that's
sitting there in the highway

with guns in their hands.

We can't do nothing except
get up there and wiggle.

Well, how do you
feel about it, Tommy?

I mean, how do you feel
about us come up there?

I don't want to go up
there against their will.

I want to be welcomed
by ..

Well, we've been
expecting you ..

Now we've got a new
president, Sudie Crusenberry

is our new president.

So let's give her a hand.

And we've got two
treasurers, co-treasurers--

Dorothy Johnson and
Mary Lou Ferguson.

I'm really tickled that we've
got this many people out, you

know, today, and all of us out.

And I think that one
thing, it's helped us.

Because last week, we
had such a struggle.

But I think that what's
come out of it is good.

Come on!

Do you think it's loaded?

Yeah.

Well, you shouldn't carry
it with you like that.

Has it got a safety on it?

Oh, it's got a safety on it.

And if it didn't,.

Long as we got.

I want you to meet
the ..

Tell them I started out with
a switch on that picket line,

but I'm ended up
now, carrying a gun.

I mean, all the time, too.

Hell, after, you
know, especially

since what's happening
up there at Highsplint,

and knowing them
and seeing them,

seeing the machine guns now.

It's time to-- well, you'd be
crazy not to carry a gun now.

You would.

Yeah?

Well, all right.

I'll be going-- are y'all
going to be back at six?

Basil!

Don't shoot!

Look out!

I'm coming back across the road.

Keep showing that
,, honey.

No!

You stay away from me.

Fuck you.

Fucking A. Take 'em back over
there and take your pants off,

baby.

All right, men,
let's break it up now.

,, Let
these people live.

You know that nigger?

That nigger is a better
man than you will ever be.

He's a better man
than you will ever be.

Three or four of them damn ol'
gun thugs get on him and start

kicking a woman,
and hitting a woman,

and then another one
come over and started

beating a man and getting
four or five of them on 'em.

And then see Basil Collins
holding a gun and calling one--

a union man, that believes
in these union men,

I want you to get that nigger.

You hear that, nigger?

Get that nigger.

I'm sick of it!

I'm sick of it.

And it's time for us to
stand together and get

just as violent as they are.

I agree.

Right.

They're violent, so by God,
you fight fire with fire.

It seemed like they
were pretty well-organized

to me this morning.

And we're going to have to get
a little tighter organized.

We're going to get
together, the women

are going to get together,
and be responsible for 10

people each at four o'clock.

If you women going
to bring ten each,

then the men ought to be able
to say, well, we'll bring five

or we'll bring 10
or we'll bring 15.

And that would be
working together.

You're going to have to get
some more black people out,

too, 'cause you look
odd ..

I am odd.

They want us to set
by and watch 'em shoot

and not us shoot back.

And the police is not going to
do nothing about it, either.

They're to blame.

Just like that, just
attack the hell out of them.

And not run.

Let your conscience be your--

I never run.

I had one.

One is all I could handle.

But I got him.

He didn't come no farther.

And if they's enough of us
up there, and we can get one,

if each one of us can get
one, hell, we can do it.

Men, women, and children, all.

It's time to stand
up and be counted.

Don't you gonna be throwed
back for 500 years.

Now we're gonna have a
picket line in the morning.

And we hope to have
a big picket line.

It's going to be
set up a little bit

different than the last ones.

We can't have a picket
line bringing a 30 caliber

machine gun shooting at you.

These ladies are sitting ducks.

Now we're going to have to
get out there and back them.

That's all they are to it.

They come up to back us, and
we're not even backing them.

And it's pretty disgusting.

And we'd like to see-- we know
about who ain't been there.

We'd like to see you out
there once in a while.

Has anybody got any questions?

Bob?

Ought to start praying
together ..

Hell, I'm praying,
too, but ..

Ed's pretty shaky up there.

We got some good ones, though.

Anything anybody
want to bring up?

Can I talk?

Come on up here.

You sure can.

If there's anybody in here
that can't or is not with us

and can't go with
us in the morning,

I'd rather for them to leave
before that I finish this,

because I do want
to know if we're

going to have these people here,
or if we can depend on them

or what.

Because if we can't, we're not
going to go up there no more,

and have those machine
guns shot at us

and have the gun thugs a-coming
across and attacking us.

We're not going to do that.

Now we're with you, and
we'll stick with you.

All these women, we
got a whole gang of 'em

that says they'll go
with them tomorrow

and we're going to be at
Mack's in the morning at 5:00.

Now we're not going
to go any earlier

than that, because
if we do, we're

just sitting ducks for them.

And they'll wait for us.

And we're not going
to tell you where

we're going to set up the picket
line until in the morning.

If you want to know
where the picket

line is going to be set
up, you'll be at Mack's

in the morning at 5:00.

We need every man
and woman there.

There's enough Brookside
pickets and Highsplint pickets

and women that those scabs
wouldn't mean a thing

if we get all of them up there.

But we're not a-going
to do it laying in bed.

Think they're going
to shoot at us today?

Shot at us yesterday.

What about today?

I don't know.

You scared?

I hope not.

Yeah.

Ain't you?

I just hope nobody gets hurt.

I don't believe.

No, we would have
seen them. 'Cause

we got people out on that.

You let them
bastard scabs come.

We got our guns now.

They may not, though.

They may work two shifts.

Nah, they ain't going to do
nothing like that.

No, they don't
doing that.

You get all disgusted--

All right.

Over
here a little bit.

Basil Collins,
right in front of you.

Basil Collins.

We shall not be moved.

We shall be, we
shall not be moved.

Just like a tree that's
standing by the water,

we shall not be moved.

Rise up!

Terrified.

We're just waiting for you.

Are we close now.

And we wasn't
blocking the road.

They was blocking the road.

They've got it
blocked all the way.

You putting the car
there, so either remove it

or I'll call the
wrecker to remove it.

- That's neutral lanes.
- No, it's not.

No, it's not,.

And you know it's
not, ..

It's not,.

You know what it is.

And I'll tell you.

You know what I told you?

I don't give a damn how much
money you make being a sheriff,

but don't go against the union.

That's all I'm asking.

When you left that car--

That's the only thing I ask.

Baby, you can stand here and
raise hell all you want to.

This road's got to be cleared.
- All right.

Will you go up there
when they shoot machine

guns across the highway?

- No, he won't.
- No?

Will you go up there then?

No, he won't.

No, he won't do it.

Why don't you?

You went up there yesterday.

I know your
grandchildren ..

That
17-year-old boy, he won't.

I mean, I see.

You know goddamn gee
that was told to me.

And I wouldn't believe
it before the election.

It was told me
that you did this.

We're not home.

Excuse me, Mr. Runes?

I have a warrant
for Basil Collins.

We want you to--

Hurray!

- Throw Basil
in jail.

You've
got a warrant for him.

--Right now.

You won't do it.

Will you two give me
a chance to do my job?

Let's
see you hang him, now.

Let's see you do it.

Somebody pay me $7.00 for
the fee of the arrest.

Here's your $7.00.

How much more you want?

Hell, you can have it all.

We'll get you up $100.

We'll raise it.

Now look.

Take him to jail.

I am going to do my job.

And this happens to
be part of my job.

Yes!

Now he's got it.

He's got it.

OK, now let's see it.

Do him in priority, though.

He'll be arrested.

But these cars got to move one.

Well, get him right now.

You arrest him.

We'll detain him for you.

Hell, don't you worry.

--Hallelujah.

Glory, glory, hallelujah.

Mark?

Under arrest for what?

Uh, disorderly
conduct, I guess.

I don't know.

Flashing a deadly weapon.

Once again, that's
part of my job.

And moving this car is
part of my job also.

I want to see
that you've moved.

Then we'll go into town.

All right.

Soon as these
people leave my truck.

Move back from his truck.

Get away from my truck.

Let's move back
from the truck.

Now did you arrest him?

If you've come to get us
to get him out, ..

This is not a
one-sided thing, Melissa.

Now I'm going to
take him to town,

but I'm also moving that car.

You're letting him drive himself
to town after he gets up there.

That's what you're doing?

What's the
difference, so long as--

Oh, no.

They's a lot of difference.

There's a lot of difference.

I tell You one thing, if
they got a warrant for us,

you would come and
take us to jail.

Lois, you're taking
things in your own hands.

You're considering--

I'm not taking
things in my own hands.

You're thinking one
way, and no other way.

Oh, know what?

How other way are
there to think?

Whenever you get shot
at with machine guns.

They shot at us
with machine guns.

How many of your men have
I up and hauled off to jail?

This is the first
time you've come out.

I will say that.

This has shocked me.

This has absolutely
shocked me to death.

So be it.

Well, you tell me--

You're down here on
a public highway now.

You're not up there
at the picket line.

You're not curbside
at the picket line.

You're here in the middle--

they're
shooting machine guns at us.

Well, they can also
transfer them down here

if they're going to kill you.

They know that.

Well, yeah, but see, we've
got a better chance down here.

Well, nevertheless,
that car has got to go.

They
got the sheriff.

We shall not be moved.

Just like a tree that's
planted by the water,

we shall not be moved.

We shall not be, we
shall not be moved.

We shall not be, we
shall not be moved.

Just like a tree that's
planted by the water,

we shall not be moved.

We shall not be moved.

Whoa,
on the mountain top.

We gonna let it shine.

Oh, the mountain top.

Oh, we gonna let it shine.

Whoa, on the mountain top,
we gonna let it shine.

Let it shine.

Let it shine.

Let it shine.

Well, we're going to
try to get more eyes,

and give these
brothers a little help.

I think it's a great day.

It's really rejoicing to me.

I'm gonna let it shine.

Let it shine.

Let it shine.

All the way!

All the way!

Go in tomorrow.

We're Harlan County union
from the top of our head

to the sole of our foot.

You think that the
company has any possibility

of breaking the strike?

Well, at this point in
time, I don't think so.

The show of strength on the
part of our membership here,

and the general public
awareness in East Kentucky

indicates to me that it
isn't going to be easy,

but we're going
to be successful.

Do you have any idea how
long this may go, and are you

prepared to--

It's pretty hard to say
how long it's going to go.

But we're here to stay,
as I said earlier.

Yeah,
but my name is Sam.

I'm a shuttle car driving man.

Said my name is Sam, I'm
a shuttle car driving man.

With the six big wheels
a-rollin' up

I'm neverending.

Well, this may not
be a ..

But I'm going to work
hard at it every day.

So let's the union.

And I'll keep doing my
dirty work underground.

Yeah, my name is Sam.

I'm a shuttle car driving man.

Said my name is Sam.

I'm a shuttle car driving man.

With six big wheels
a-rollin'

a neverending.

I don't know of any time
in coal mining history

when the president
and principal officers

of an international union
have come to the coalfields

during an organizing battle.

It's most gratifying to
me to see busloads in here

from Indiana and Illinois.

I think if I were
,, I think that that

would mean something to me.

To bring people
hundreds of miles

to just march around town and
listen to a couple speeches

don't make too much sense to me.

That although it generated a
lot of enthusiasm and fortified,

you know, maybe strengthened
people's morale here,

a lot more could have been
done when they came here.

That we could have, for example,
marched down to Brookside

and confronted
Yarborough face to face,

who was sitting at the
Brookside office during the day.

Uh, we could have
gone to

and expropriated
their machine guns.

And the miners
here, I'm convinced,

were ready to do
something like that.

Either that contract's
signed, it's going

to be better on everybody.

Let's show Normy Yarborough
he don't run Harlan County.

Let's show Judge Hoggs he
don't run Harlan County.

And if you people don't get
out here and help us out,

we ain't going to get
none of this right.

Now we want you down
there at five o'clock.

That's the sunrise revival
at Brookside, Kentucky.

They claim to be
rock stars ..

Excuse me.

Thought you said
we'd already been here.

Tell him to come
over here a minute.

We don't know what caused
the shooting or nothing,

but we can figure it
was just a disagreement.

Before the mineworkers,
he was shot in the face.

We helped bring him over here.

What happened?
What happened?

He got shot in the damn head.

Got shot in
the face with a shotgun.

Who shot him?

A god damn scab, Bill Bruner.

That's brains laying in the
car of a goddamn fellow when

he-- he tried to do something.

That's what a scab
does to a person,

by god, when
they're not looking.

See the little shit.

The piss ant cut off a god damn
man's brain, put another one

in the hospital dying.

They been shot all
to hell ..

I'm almost done with it.

He got dead shot in the
goddamn head ..

Yeah, my son and
that's what he got shot on.

You got two sons fighting?

Yeah, yeah.

My other son, too--
he ..

How long have
you been married?

Almost a year.

How old are you?

16.

Do you have any children?

One.

Are you proud of your husband?

Yeah.

What made him decide
to go on a picket line?

Well, the union, I guess.

Yeah, he's a union man.

That's why.

I want my kids all to be union.

I don't want them to
be a yellowback scab.

I don't want them
to be kicked around

like we was when we was kids.

And my daddy, he
worked all his life

and didn't get a
thing before he died.

Worked all of his
life in the coal mine,

and we never did see him either.

We'd just sleep in the bed.

Mommy'd give us what we had
to eat, and we'd go to bed.

And he'd eat when
he'd come, and he'd

be gone when we got out of bed.

Then whenever he got too
old to work in the mine,

they just kicked him out to die.

They didn't care.

Because there wasn't
no union then.

And I don't want my
kid to be like that.

I want my kids to stick
up for their rights

and be a union man.

Well, the next time somebody
gets up in our meeting

and says, let's
have non-violence,

and well, don't bother them,
let's shoot their god damn ass.

The women get up there
and they park their car

across the road and they get up
there and say what they think,

and we hide behind
the goddamn car.

Don't you know.

I'll be honest with you.

I done got enough
goddamn shotguns

pushed in my goddamn face.

Non-violence?

We don't have no violence.

And we stand back there, and
we don't say a goddamn thing.

We don't even do nothing.

Most of you were real close
friends with Lawrence Jones.

He left a 16-year-old wife
and a five-month-old daughter.

But I think at this time
that we should at least

wait till the morning before--

and not let things
get out of hand.

I've just talked to Chip
Novalski and Rick Banks,

and they've asked me to tell you
that the company and the union

is talking, and
that they're close.

It looks to me like the best
part is to be to try to get

Basil Collins.

Amen!

Now that--

--them's the leaders, boys.

Them's the leaders,
and they-- if some way

that they can be got.

They's plenty of big
trees down there,

and they's plenty of
high-powered rifles.

I went at 'em back in the '30s.

I know just exactly.

I've seen them buddy.

I've seen them carrying
and putting ..

And now I see the man get
right out in the open.

So I tell everybody-- take
the shelter if you can,

and lay the lead to 'em.

Amen, brother.

The contract is what
we are fighting for.

That's what Lawrence Jones
died for, to get a contract.

But I told his family--

I said, it was for a good cause.

And what I said,
why couldn't it be

somebody like me, some old
man just about spent anyhow?

But it took a young
man's life to bring

this thing, the government and
the union and the operators

together.

If his shooting
hadn't a-happened,

probably this contract--
they wouldn't,

probably might not
have been a meeting

to negotiate a contract.

But every contract that
we've ever got has been hard.

We have to fight for it.

I've been all around the blood
shed back down in the '30s.

Blood all around me, where a
man died right around my feet

for a contract.

And I think if we ever
did hold our peace,

let's try to hold it tonight.

The price has been paid for it.

Leave behind, yes, leave behind.

What will I leave behind?

After I leave, for
worlds not known,

what will I leave behind?

Oh god.

No, no, no!

Oh, no, no.

Oh, god, I.

Reckon it needs to come on
up the river just a little bit,

don't it?

When you believe in
something strong enough

that you're ready to die for
it, that's when you get it.

Because that's what
happened to Lawrence Jones.

He believed in it so strong,
and he was ready to die for it,

and he did.

But it could have been me.

It could have been
anybody that was

out there on the picket line.

I feel like that this is just
a little pebble on the beach,

because we've got
a lot of organizing

to do in Harlan County.

Because Harlan County
will be UMWA coal.

I guess that I'd have to say
that as much as we fought down

here and as hard as we
fought, I don't think it was

for that young boy,
Lawrence Jones,

I doubt if we would have got
a contract as fast as we did.

I'd like to ask
that we pass a motion

that we accept this contract.

Somebody--

I'll make it.

--Make-- somebody
make the motion.

I'll make the motion.

I'll second it.

All Brookside miners
stand for a count then.

All right.

Allow 'em to sit
down, ..

Sit down.

Everybody sit down.

The ayes have
it and so ordered.

The ayes have it.

And it is so ordered.

The contract's accepted.

The contract's accepted.

The only thing I hate about
this is on account of that boy

getting killed, you know.

And it all had to come--

of course--

It's a sad.

--Expected that.

I really expected more, you
know, than that to happen

and it probably would have
if it had gone on, you know,

this week and this week.

That's right.

We all knew that it was coming.

But we didn't know who or when.

Do you feel you've been
changed by this strike?

Oh, yes.

How so?

Many different ways.

I can look for a future now.

I feel good about it.

It's just great, marvelous.

After 13 months, waiting
to see, you know, him

go back to work.

Boy, it's been a long time.

I always said I wouldn't
go up there, but I did.

I did.

I said I wouldn't go.

But when I seen
him go, his fight's

my fight, so I want to stand
beside of him, fight, too.

If this had just been
a Harlan County strike,

and there hadn't been
publicity, if there hadn't been

a fight against
their rate increase,

there hadn't been a fight
against their stock,

Duke Power wouldn't have given
a damn about any of the pressure

down here.

Because all we had
was their coal.

We never had shut off enough of
that to hurt their stockpiles

up until the end.

And the same thing
with Lawrence.

They never would have cared if
Lawrence Jones died in Harlan.

There would have been a two inch
paragraph from the Harlan Daily

Enterprise, and
Carl Horn wouldn't

have given a god damn about it.

And so I don't think a strike
is won by any one thing.

It was won by a lot
of different people

in a lot of different
ways, fighting together

and playing different roles.

Victory!

Harlan County!

The other thing
we're trying to do

is investigate how the fix
was put in here in Harlan.

What fix?

Well, it's pretty clear
that when a man commits murder

and the state police
charges him and witnesses

say that he fired on
the man unprovoked,

that a grand jury is
duty bound to indict him.

But this grand jury
was Harlan County.

And it seemed like,
despite the fact

we had won a contract, not
that much had changed here.

It was just like
in the old days.

If a company kills a man,
the company gets laid off.

If one of our people
had shot any company

man throughout this strike,
he'd be serving 25 years now.

Bill Bruner is scot-free.

Once a concession is
won, and once a strike

is won, that the
workers have to move

right on to the next struggle.

And if they don't, the
concession that was won,

you gonna lose it.

Well, there's two types of ways
to win strikes and concessions.

And the first type is where
the workers fight and struggle

and force the concessions out
of the mine owners or factory

owners, what have you.

And these strikes are strikes
that are won from below.

The other type of
strike, the strikes

are given to you from above.

Whenever anybody
gives you something,

they don't give you
nothing for nothing.

To get something
and be given it,

you're going to have
to give up something.

The BCO member
companies ought to be

expected to provide
substantially higher

levels of wages and benefits.

It is essential-- be necessary
for the bargaining parties

to give serious consideration to
contract provisions which will

contribute significantly
to increased

production and productivity.

The membership of
our union no longer

was willing to accept $2
more a day, and a bar of soap

and a towel in a bathhouse.

The areas, the main areas of
concern to our membership,

has been well-established
and should be recognized

by everyone in this
country, particularly

the coal operators-- that
safety is our highest priority.

The men's asking for
more than they did before.

And they're going to get it.

They either get it, or
there won't be no coal.

This strike?

They've been looking
forward to this.

This is a big thing
for the miner,

that he will better
his lot after today.

Because when Miller
took office, he

said that he was
going to get the miner

what he was entitled to.

OK, this is flat track.

Starting
now from the work area,

and they're coming to
what we call the manway.

They'll be coming
up cage,

in another 32 minutes they'll
all be out, god willing.

Well, I think that the
ratification's great, if we

have something to say about it.

Retirement,
we want vacations.

Yeah--

Fuck.

--Better vacation.

Sick pay.

It'll never be ratified
the first time if it's not

at least a $15 a day increase.

You've been
through this before?

Many a time.

Six months one.

Are you afraid of
going out on strike?

No, I'm not afraid.

I don't want to see
no strike, definitely.

No miner wants a strike
with no contract, no work.

And if it's not a good
one, we get to ratify.

It would never have gone
the way it has if we'd

have been able to vote before.

Just like Boyle.

We didn't vote.

He says, oh, this is
what they'll take.

That's what we had to take,
was what they give us.

Now we're going to
take what we want.

See you later.

Even those who criticize
it, acknowledge it is probably

the best agreement that's
been made in any industry

in modern times.

Mr. Miller, do you
expect to recommend

ratification of this
contract to the membership?

I will recommend
ratification of this contract

to the membership.

Sir?

Will you have a right to
strike at the local level.

No.

Do you anticipate
that will cause

you any trouble
in ratifications,

since that's one of the things--

No, I'm sure there
are some divergent views

among the membership,
and I never

expected 100 % ratification.

But I'm confident the
membership will ratify.

You can't take the right
to strike away from miners.

If you go through the
proper grievance procedure,

and it doesn't work, you have
only got one right left--

the right to strike.

And if you take that away
from a man, you've had him.

It's not in the agreement?

But it's not ruled out yet.

Well, I'd like to have it.

Well, I can't speak
for everyone--

Well, let me step out here and
talk to you privately about it.

Yeah.

I don't want-- that's 35.

The international
has gone and changed

the whole ratification
process without giving

any reason for it.

But they're trying
to keep us apart.

He could be getting pressure
from the government.

He could be getting
pressure from the companies.

It's hard to say.

We don't know.

That's what the problem is.

We don't know, and
we're not being told.

Everybody was
under the impression,

I think, when
Miller was elected,

that he was the man for the job.

- That's right, yes.
- I mean, everybody--

- That's the way he acted.
- Everybody--

He act like he was.

He's an honest man.

But he's no match for them bunch
of clowns in the other cars.

That is their job.

He's honest.

He got bagged.

Coal companies
don't need to tell you

they can't afford us, either.

Because they're owned by the
oil companies and the power

companies and who has more money
in the world than those people?

So they go afford everything.

I'll tell you what.

I'll tell you what.

The company kept the apple.

It throwed us the core!

You look at these
coal companies.

You look at Consolidated Coal--

181 goddamn percent profits.

You look at Piston--

886.

And now,,
they're giving us a goddamn

five more days' vacation.

Burn 'em all!

Hey!

Goddamn.

This is unprecedented,
isn't it, Mr. Secretary,

for a Secretary of the
Treasury to step in like this?

I don't think it's
unprecedented, no.

I think this is a very serious
issue in the economic area

in our country.

And a prolonged coal
strike would have very

serious economic implications.

So as the chief
economic spokesman,

I consider this my very
deep responsibility

to attempt to work toward
a resolution of this issue.

What is your reaction
to the government

stepping in at this time?

Well, I hope that we can
resolve the matter ourself.

That's the way I feel about it.

Some of this contract
has got some goodies.

But most of this
contract is against you.

What contract?

As far as I can see,
this is no contract at all.

Take it and read
it and shut up.

That's what I did
with the last one.

You worked three
years at Wheeling Steel,

you can get 13 weeks.

Well, you're not
working at Wheeling Steel.

No, but by god, I ain't
working in a hole all the time.

I work down in the
hole, too, and I deserve

just as much as he gets.

That's right.

What about your
high cost of living?

What about your sick leave?

Five goddamn days.

Have you been off sick?

I can't afford to get sick.

I have to spend all my
money going to the doctor,

getting doctor's slips.

They got the cost of living
index set up for people

making $2 and $3 an hour.

Where we should be on a
0.3, or 0.25 instead of 0.4.

That's right.

It's a joke.

Yeah, just keep.

Yes, yes.

Uh oh, a lot of yeses,
boy, I'm telling you.

Local
number ..

105.

106.

107.

The 1974 Bituminous
Coal Wage Agreement

has been ratified
by the membership

of the United Mine Workers.

The figures for those
voting for is 44,754.

And 34,741 voting against.

I think that we
have a great contract.

I think our people will
adapt theirselves to it.

They will be more familiar with
it as they work along with it.

And it's my hope
that we can now get on

with the job of
running this union

and doing the kind
of organizing job

that will make the United
Mine Workers number

one in the country again.

I'm directing the membership
of our United Mine Workers

organization back to work.

I'm glad to get back.

Feel you got a good contract?

Aw, oh, I feel
mine's all right.

I got a good raise.

I'm happy about it.

I'm not too worried.

Good morning.

How do you feel about
going back to work?

Well, going to work, I don't
feel like working any time.

But I have to go.

Do you feel you
got a good contract?

Well, not for us old timers,
we don't have a good contract.

Why not?

Well, we ain't going
to get too much benefit.

You take three years ago the
coal miners are supposed to be

getting $50 a day,.

And within six
years, 1976, I still

won't be getting $50 a day
with these new rates in there.

And the papers had to
be forged three years

ago that they'd start up $50.

But now that it's
after six years,

I still won't be making $50.

When are you going
to be able to retire?

Well, I've maybe old
enough to retire now.

But I couldn't live
off $150 a month.

So, I gotta go to work.

Hey, have a safe day.

Well, I'm going to try.

It was a fight before
and it's still a fight.

Fight before we had the
union and still fighting.

And they're going keep fighting.

The coal miner will
always be fighting.

United we stand,
divided we fall.

For every dime they give
us, a battle must be fought.

So working people, use your
power, the key to liberty.

Don't support that rich
man's style of luxury.

There ain't no way they can
ever keep us down, oh no.

Ain't no way they can
ever keep us down.

We won't be bought,
we won't be sold.

To be treated right,
well, that's our goal.

And there ain't no way
they can ever keep us down.

But you have
got them going now

and you've got to
keep them going.

If you don't, God bless
America, you're down.

That we get a
grievance procedure that

has a right to strike in it.

So that we can
fight the companies

and win our grievances.

We've been shot and
we've been jailed, lord.

It's a sin.

Women and little children
stood right by the men.

But we got that Union contract
that keeps the worker free,

and they'll never shoot
that union out of me.

And they'll never shoot
that union out of me, oh no.

Never shoot that
union out of me.

Got a contract in
our hands signed

by the blood of honest men.

And they'll never shoot
that union out of me.

If you get
those junctions lifted,

you get those junctions
struck, automatically

you've got the right to strike.

Well, the power wheel is
rolling, rolling right along.

And the government can keep
it growing, growing strong.

So working people get your
help from your own kind.

Your welfare ain't on
the rich man's mind.

Your welfare ain't on that
rich man's mind, oh no.

Your welfare ain't on
that rich man's mind.

They want the power
in their hands

just to keep down the
worker, and your welfare

ain't on that rich man's mind.

And they'll never, never,
never keep us down, oh no.

Never, never,
never keep us down.

They can cheat,
lie, frame or steal,

but we'll stop that big wheel.

And they'll never, never,
never keep us down.